Last Chances
by Bludge
Summary: Slowly, she allowed her mind to recall the events leading up to this moment – letting herself remember the phone call: ‘What the hell have you done?’.....' CG R


Disclaimer: Don't own this! (Really it's that simple!)  
  
Archive: Here and The Graveyard  
  
A/N: Hello all. This is just a little one-piece fic I wrote on the spur of the moment. I'm hoping to get all my other fics updated soon, so just bear with me there. Thanks to Nicole for beta-ing this for me and a special 'hi' to anyone from the Graveyard. Well on with the fic. R&R and ENJOY!!! - Bex :o)  
  
She sat behind the steering wheel of the stationary SUV trying to figure out why she was here. The townhouse loomed in front of her; she hadn't been here for weeks and right now this was the last place she wanted to be. And yet here she was.  
  
Catherine let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through her strawberry blonde hair. Slowly, she allowed her mind to recall the events leading up to this moment - letting herself remember the phone call: 'What the hell have you done?'  
  
She recognised the hysterical female voice as Sara's, but had idea what the angry demand was about. 'What do you mean?'  
  
'What have you said to Grissom?'  
  
'What?'  
  
'He's leaving, Catherine. He's taken a job in New York. So what the fuck did you do?'  
  
Cath had slammed down the phone before the conversation could progress, and - unaware of what she was doing - grabbed her keys and headed out the door. And somehow ended up here.  
  
Why she was here: she had no idea. Maybe she was trying to prove Sara wrong, though she owed her nothing - if anything this was probably all her fault. She slid out of the vehicle and walked up to the door.  
  
She hadn't a clue where to begin. What to say. All the words she'd said to him for over a week were abrupt and cold. Not that it was her fault; he'd started this. Before her pride had a chance to stop her, Catherine knocked on the door.  
  
It took him a couple of moments to answer. He blinked at her in confusion; obviously she'd been the last person he'd been expecting to see. "Are you going to let me in?" She snapped before she could stop herself.  
  
He paused as if it took time for his brain to register the request, then opened the door wider to let her pass. Catherine barged in to find boxes everywhere and clutters of possessions waiting to be packed into them. "You're leaving?"  
  
He indicated at the piles of mess. "What do you think?"  
  
She looked at him, trying to stop the hurt from entering her voice. "Who's going to take over the shift?"  
  
"You are," Grissom stated simply, "You said once that you could probably do a better job. Here's you chance to prove it."  
  
Catherine swallowed, unsure which emotion she felt strongest in the muddle swimming in her head. "Why?"  
  
He looked at her as if it was obvious. "So many reasons."  
  
"That doesn't answer my question Gil. Why?"  
  
"Because you won't talked to me about what happened. Because you can't bear to look me in the eye. Because every time I try to talk to you, we end up fighting." He paused and when she said nothing, he continued, "I meant what I said."  
  
Catherine scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Well you've got a fine way of showing it. Why did you kiss Sara?"  
  
Grissom stiffened, opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it again before a single sound could leave his lips. She shook her head and turned to leave. "Forget it. You clearly don't have an explanation worth giving me."  
  
"Wait," He called to stop her and it worked. "I want to explain Cath, I really do."  
  
She sat down on the couch with her arms folded, glaring at him as she waited impatiently for an answer. He sighed and rubbed his temple, reaching for a bottle of bourbon that stood on a sideboard. "You want a drink?"  
  
"Isn't that what caused all this in the first place?" She replied icily.  
  
Out of the corner of his eyes, he glanced at her - hurt playing among the blue - then continued to pour the drink regardless. "No, I believe that was the morphine," He corrected, not bothering to look to see what her reaction was.  
  
Taking his time, he made his way over and sat down at the other end. They sat there in silence, both staring straight ahead, hardly moving. Cath cleared her throat. "So..."  
  
"So?" He repeated.  
  
"Are you going to explain or what?"  
  
"I meant what I said in the hospital Cath. I meant it when I said...it."  
  
She let out an irritated sigh. "How can you mean it when you'll only say it when you're under the influence of something?"  
  
"You know I'm not good with words," He mumbled quietly.  
  
"Yeah," She agreed for the first time in weeks, "And you're not good with actions either." He turned to face her, being met by her angry eyes. "You kissed her Gil. Regardless of what you say, or said, it doesn't change that."  
  
"Sara was a mistake," Gris argued.  
  
"Really?" She questioned, unconvinced.  
  
"Yes, I was drunk-"  
  
"So you took advantage of her feelings for you," Catherine cut across heatedly.  
  
"What! Now you're putting words into my mouth."  
  
"Please, you know how she feels about you. How she dropped everything and moved to Vegas 'cause you asked her to, how she has to be your favourite, how she mopes after you like a lovesick puppy."  
  
"Oh, and like you don't enjoy Nick and Warrick constantly stroking your ego," He retorted, "And you flirt back."  
  
"That's different."  
  
"Really?" Grissom snapped, "How so?"  
  
"Because they know I'm not serious. And I don't go ahead and kiss them five days after I told someone I love them!" Catherine screamed back at the top of her voice. She was on her feet now, rage and hurt flowing through her. She was unsure if he knew how much of a slap in the face that had been.  
  
"I went to you first Catherine," He whispered softly, "And you turned me away."  
  
"Because you were drunk and Lindsey was at home," She reminded him. "But when I did leave her, just to make sure you were ok, I find you making out with Sara on your doorstep."  
  
"I'd hardly call it making out," He countered. "She kissed me."  
  
"And you made such an effort to push her away," Catherine declared sarcastically. "From where I was standing, your tongue was quite happily down her throat!"  
  
"Do you know why I got drunk?" He demanded with just as much anger. "Because of you"  
  
"So this is all my fault?"  
  
"You hardly visited me after I said-" He faltered, then just said it, "After I said I loved you. Then, for a few days after I'd come out of hospital, I could hardly hear. I thought the operation hadn't worked and I'd lost my hearing for good - why would you want me then? A man who couldn't hear your voice when you wanted to talk to him?" There was a silence that annoyed him further. "Do you love me Catherine?"  
  
She blinked at him, the surprise replacing the rage for a second. "Do you?"  
  
"How can you ask that?"  
  
"Because you weren't exactly with it when you told me," Cath spat. "What if it had been Sara instead of me? What if you had woken up after your surgery and she had been sitting by your side? Would you have told her the same thing?"  
  
"If I did, it wouldn't have been true," He mumbled softly.  
  
"That's not good enough," She stated.  
  
"Then what is?" Grissom asked, his voice raised. "If you didn't come here for the truth, why did you? Why didn't you just leave it when you heard I was moving?'  
  
Cath could only shake her head, unable to say anything in her confusion. She just got up and started to stride to the door. But he got there first. He grabbed hold of her arm, forcing her to stop. She looked at his hand - surprised at how tight his grip was - and glared up at him. "Let me go Gil," She warned him.  
  
"Not until I get my answer."  
  
"What answer?"  
  
"Do you love me?" He questioned. She wrenched her arm from his grasp and moved to open the door, but he slammed it shut. He reached out an arm to block her retreat, trapping her between him and the door.  
  
Her look was poisonous. "Open the door."  
  
"Or what?" His voice and eyes challenged her.  
  
"I'll-"  
  
But his lips cut her off. And they pressed hard against hers - pushing her back into the door. He felt her trying to pull away, but as he kissed her more forcefully, the protest weakened. Soon she was kissing him hungrily back, her fingers entwining in his hair. Sharply, he pulled back and gazed at her; lips red and swollen, panting for breath. "Do you love me?"  
  
She shook her head and dropped her gaze. "I don't know."  
  
He gently cupped her chin and turned her face back to look at him. "That's not good enough."  
  
"What am I supposed to say?" She demanded.  
  
"Well if you want me to stay, I need a slightly more solid answer then that."  
  
"Who said I wanted you to stay?"  
  
"Oh, so that kiss meant nothing to you?" He challenged, raising an eyebrow as if daring her to deny it.  
  
She tried her best to avert her gaze, but his deep blue orbs refused to free her from their spell. She barely managed a feeble shrug as her answer. He sighed in frustration, stepping back as he raked a hand through his ruffled hair. "I love you Catherine," Grissom repeated firmly, "More than anything else and nothing's going to ever change that. So either you don't love me back and I'll be on that plane tomorrow, out of you life for good, or..." He paused for a beat as he continued to look her straight in the eye, "You love me back, and I'll never leave you or do anything to hurt you."  
  
Unable to speak as all words failed her, Catherine continued to helplessly stare at him. Right now her head was so messed up that she wasn't sure what she wanted; and yet this was her big decision time. He moved closer, stopping so they were barely inches apart. And as she scanned his face, somehow she found the answer.  
  
Hesitantly, she leaned forwards to kiss his lips; unsure at first, but soon the thirst for the taste of him took over. She allowed herself to get lost in his arms: a feeling of completeness drowning out the hurt and betrayal. Drowning out the doubt. For the first time in years her heart felt safe with another man. And after what seemed like a lifetime, they gently parted, both heart set on fire. "I guess that's my answer," She told him breathlessly.  
  
"Really? I'm not sure if I got all of that," He teased her with an adorable smile. "I think I need to just confirm it to be certain."  
  
She giggled as he kissed her again, then softly began to trail light kisses down her neck. "You realise this changes everything," Catherine pointed out. "Our friendship will never be the same again."  
  
"Well, no great loss there. We weren't really that close anyway," He retorted with a mischievous smirk.  
  
She hit him playfully on the shoulder at the comment and he fended a pained look. Laughing, she kissed him briefly and pulled back. "And you realise that I haven't completely forgiven you yet."  
  
He rolled his eyes and closed in to seal their lips together again. "Didn't assume that for a second."  
  
"And you have a lot of making up to do," Cath stated.  
  
"I'm sure I'm willing to do that."  
  
"And-"  
  
"Catherine, shut up!"  
  
She smiled seductively at him, as she wrapped her arms securely around his neck. "Make me."  
  
The End  
  
A/N: What do you think? Even though I'm not continuing this, feedback is always welcome. So hit that button NOW! Lol. :o) 


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